Footwear



March l, 1949.

A. ATLAS `2,463,348

Filed March 14) 1947 2 Sheets-Sheetl l Altorne,

March 1, 1949. A A. ATLAS 2,463,348

FOOTWEAR Filed March 14, 1947, 2 sheets-sheet 2 Altorney Patented Mar. l, 1949l FOOTWEAR Arthur Atlas, Leicester, England Application March 14, 1947, Serial No.1734,810

In Great Britain March 25, 1946 2 Claims. (Cl. 36-11.5)

This invention relates to footwear such as boots, shoes and the like, which expression is to be regarded as including sandals and slippers. For con-venience in the following description, however, such articles of footwear will, where the context so admits, be referred to generically as shoes The object of the invention is an improvement designed to provide a novel and attractive effect at the heel end of a shoe as will be hereinafter described.

In this connection the invention is intended for application principally to fashion shoes, e. g. sandals, for feminine Wear, although it may be applied to mens shoes and childrens shoes.

Broadly considered, the invention consists of a shoe wherein a portion or portions of the upper is or are extended to cover a part at least of the shoe heel. That is to say, upper material at the rear end of the shoe, instead of being lasted to an insole or secured to an outer sole in the conventional manner, is extended, appropriately shaped and applied to the heel suchwise as to cover one or more portions, or even the whole, of the exposed surface of said heel.

In one embodiment of the invention, the sides of the rear portion of a shoe upper are extended to cover the sides of the heel, in which embodiment the heel breast and the back of the heel may be covered by portions of suitable material integral or otherwise appropriately associated with the aforesaid side extensions so as to pro vide a complete covering for the heel.

The extension or extensions of the shoe upper for the purpose in view may be initially separate from the upper material and attached thereto, e. g. by stitching, although it is principally the intention to form the said extension or extensions integrally with the upper.

In cases where the upper extends completely around the shoe, it is the quarter, the counter, the rear part of the golosh or the leg, according to the type of footwear, which is extended at the side or/and at the back for the purpose hereinbefore alluded to. But where, as in a sandal, the upper does not extend completely around the footwear, then it is the rear portion or portions of the upper designed to extend over the instep or/and around the ankle which is or are extended to cover the appropriate part or parts of the heel.

The heel of a shoe incorporating the hereinbefore described improvement may be of any conventional form or shape, such as Cuban or Louis, although it is preferred, particularly in the case 2 of a sandal or the like, to apply the improvement to a shoe tted with a wedge-shaped heel (not to be confused with a wedge heel) the breast and back of which are relatively convergent from the heel seat towards the top-piece.

If, as may be, the or each portion of the upper extended as aforesaid is provided with a lining, the latter will not be extended co-extensively with the portion but will be turned in and secured either to the underside of the insole or between the heel and the outer sole.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood and readily carried into prac tical eiTect, a specific example thereof as applied to a ladys sandal will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein,

Figure l is a general perspective View of the said sandal,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side view of the heel end of the same,

Figure 3 is a rear View, and

Figures 4 and 5 are detail longitudinal and transverse sectional views respectively taken through the aforesaid heel end.

Like parts are designated by similar reference characters throughout the drawings.

Referring to Figure 1 it will be seen that the upper of the sandal comprises a toe portion I and two strap-like ankle portions 2. The toe portion is lasted to an insole' 3, in accordance with conventional practice, and the sandal is provided with an outersole 4 which at its rear end is thinned down by skiving and secured so as to extend partially beneath the heel seat portion of the insole. The sandal is fitted with a solid heel 5, e. g. of Wood, the breast and the back of which are relatively convergent. The said breast is fiat and the back, whilst it may also be flat, is slightly outwardly curved. The heel sides are similarly slightly outwardly curved. The front corners of the heel where the heel sides meet the breast are sharp, whereas the said sides merge into the back of the heel at corners which are rounded. The bottom of the heel is therefore of approximately rectangular shape.

The strap-like ankle portions 2 extend upwards and forwardly from the heel seat and, in accordance with the characteristic feature of the present invention, are formed integrally with downwardly directed extensions 6 adapted entirely to cover the sides of the heel 5. These extensions are integrally united at the back by an intermediate portion l of upper material which extends around and completely covers the back 3 of the heel. The downwardly directed extensions 6 are, moreover, extended at the front to provide integral frontal portions 8 which are applied to cover the heel breast. The leading edges of the frontal portions 8 are straight and brought together suchwise as to form a neat butt joint. The strap-like ankle portions 2 are of tapering form, being narrowest at their upper ends which are connected in the manner hereinafter to be described. As shown more clearly in Figure 2, the slope of the heel breast is made to conform substantially with that of the front or'leading edges of the strap-like ankle portions 2. The entire extended upper material constituting the side extensions 6, the integral intermediate portion 1 and the integral frontal portions 8 is secured to the heel by suitable adhesive. The upa per edge of the intermediate portion of the heel cover is inturned and secured between the seat of the heel 5 and the underside of the insole 3 as indicated in Figure 4. Similarly, the upper edges ofthe meeting frontal portions 8 are inturned and secured between the heel and the underside of the outersole 4 (see Figure 4). The entire lower edge of the extended upper material is turned in, all around the heel, and secured between the bottom of the heel and an applied toppiece 9, e. g. of leather.

The free ends of the ankle portions 2 may be adapted t be secured together by one or more button fastenings, or by means of a lacing, at the front of the ankle, or they may, as illustrated in Figure 1, be permanently connected by an elastic insert I0. It is vpreferred to apply to such an elastic insert e. g. by stitching, a bow or other ornamental device such as that indicated at il of a material similar to or contrasting with that of-the ankle portions suchwise as to impart an attractive appearance to the sandal. The ankle portions 2, are connected by a back-strap l2 adapted to t the back of the wearers heel.

In the illustrated example, each of the straplike ankle portions 2 is lined with a correspondingly shaped piece of lining I3 which is secured in position by stitching, the lower end of each such piece being inturned and secured between the seat of the heel 5 and the underside both of the outersole 4 as depicted in Figure 5, and the rear end portion of the insole 3 where this is not covered by the outer sole.

According to a modification (not shown) the pieces of material for covering the heel breast and the back of the heel are separate from the downwardly directed side extensions S. Or initially separate pieces for this purpose may be attached to the side extensions by stitching.

The upper material, together with the heelcovering extension, or extensions thereof, may be textile fabric such as brocade or even thin crepe or other rubber. Alternatively, fancy leather, e. g. kid or suede, plain or grained or otherwise treated to provide an ornamental. ap-

pearance may be used. I

It is within the scope of the invention to make the heel 5, together with the associated ankle portions 2, in the form of a readily detachable unit which is interchangeable with similar units of different colours or other contrasting characteristics.

The heel of the improved shoe may, of course, be hollow if desired, in which case a metal, g. aluminium, or a moulded plastic heel ma be adopted.

What I claim then is:

1. A shoe comprising an upper, an insole combined with said upper, an outer sole secured to the insole, a heel with an applied top-piece attached to the outer sole, the said upper including two strap-like ankle portions which extend, one at each side of the shoe, upwardly and forwardly from the heel seat and are formed with downwardly directed integral extensions covering the sides ofthe heel, and a portion of material which is integral with the downwardly directed extensions and is applied to cover the back of the heel, the upper and lower edges of the said portion being secured respectively between the insole and the heel seat portion of the heel and between the bottom of the heel and the applied top-piece.

2. vA shoe comprising an upper, a sole combined with said upper, a heel with a top-piece attached to the sole, the said upper including two straplike ankle portions which extend, one at each side of the shoe, upwardly and forwardly from the heel seat and are formed with downwardly directed integral extensions covering the sides of the heel, portions of material which are integral with the downwardly directed extensions and applied to cover the breast of the heel, appropriate edges of the said portions being inturned and secured between the heel and the sole and the heel and the top-piece, and a further portion of material which is integral with the down- Wardly directed extensions and is applied to cover the back of the heel, the upper and lower edges of the said last mentioned portion being secured respectively between the insole and the heel seat portion of the heel and between the bottom of the heel and the applied top-piece.

ARTHUR ATLAS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

